INTO Northern Conference: Increasing abuse faced by teachers and need for ‘urgent’ education reforms

The Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO) has expressed serious concerns about the increasing physical and verbal abuse faced by teachers, warning that it is having a detrimental impact on staff well-being and school safety.

There were calls for immediate measures to protect staff and ensure safer learning environments due to the growing number of violent incidents against teachers.

Delegates shared moving details of the experiences of teachers, many of whom are reluctant to report such assaults.

It followed calls for urgent reforms in Northern Ireland’s education system, with delegates highlighting underfunding, inefficiencies, and challenges in special educational needs (SEN).

In a keynote speech, the Northern Chairperson condemned Education Minister Paul Givan’s contradictory stance, which she said praised student achievements while criticising teachers’ industrial action.

Addressing delegates, Geraldine McGowan argued that systemic issues, not strikes, have corroded education, calling for increased budgets, smaller class sizes, and better SEN support.

“If action short of strike, and strike action is corrosive, imagine what could be achieved if we had an effective system,” she said.

Ms McGowan concluded that without meaningful investment and policy change, students and teachers will continue to struggle.

“Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach, including increased funding, better support for teachers, and targeted interventions to reduce educational inequalities,” she said.

“By tackling the root causes of corrosion in education, we can work towards providing a more stable, and equitable system.”

Delegates were clear that workload reform remains the critical barrier to ending the current industrial action campaign.

While progress has been made on elements of pay and conditions, the conference reaffirmed that a solution cannot be achieved without a firm, detailed commitment to reducing the unsustainable workload facing teachers and school leaders.

Mark McTaggart, INTO Northern Secretary, said that without meaningful measures to tackle this fundamental issue, INTO cannot recommend that its members accept proposals on pay.

“We have made significant progress on pay, but teachers need more than promises. Workload reform is not optional – it’s fundamental,” he said.

“If the political will to secure real, meaningful reductions in workload is not forthcoming, INTO will continue to stand firm, and we remain ready to escalate our campaign if necessary.”

Meanwhile, delegates also adopted a motion condemning the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which highlighted the denial of Palestinian children and young people’s fundamental right to education as a stark and urgent injustice.

Mr McTaggart said: “As educators, we cannot stand by while Palestinian children and young people are robbed of their right to education.

“INTO is proud to join the broader trade union movement in demanding justice, and we will continue to advocate strongly for action that will help rebuild the Palestinian education system ”

Delegates further endorsed the outcomes of the INTO led Conference on the Rights of Palestinian Children, emphasising that the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) strategy is central to combating apartheid in Palestine.

The conference also called for the immediate enactment of the Occupied Territories Bill by the new Irish government, aligning with the position of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.